AD8 Dementia Screening Interview

The AD8 is an eight-question screen that asks whether a person's thinking has changed from how it used to be. The questions cover memory, orientation, judgment, and everyday function: repeating the same stories, trouble handling finances, forgetting the month, losing interest in hobbies. For each one the respondent answers yes a change, no, or does not know.

The score is simply the number of changes reported, from 0 to 8. A score of 0 or 1 falls in the normal range, while 2 or more points toward cognitive impairment worth further testing. It was built as an informant interview, completed by someone who knows the person well, and was later validated as a self-report. Asking about change over time, rather than current performance, is what makes it sensitive to early dementia whatever the cause.

Licensing Notes: AD8® requires a license whether the intended use is for-profit or non-profit, funded research or clinical use. Licenses are issued through WashU's Office of Technology Management, and PDFs of the instrument are released only once a license is in place.